The Woodbender
by no-one-is-special
Summary: Just a short scene for an AU story idea I had. In it Aang's eldest son Bumi was the one who formed the Equalists. I might add more to it later, but for now it's just a concept scene. Hope you guys enjoy.


"It's beautiful." Honaka stated as she circled around her master's handiwork. A life sized, wooden carving of Avatar Aang. The result of an entire year of meticulous carving, the sculpture was perfect down to the slightest of details. Honaka remembered that she had chuckled when her master first claimed that before he started the Equalist movement, he had wanted to be a wood carver. She had burst into laughter when he said that his little sister used to call him 'The Woodbender'. But looking at the masterpiece standing before her now, she didn't doubt.

Aang's robes flowed as though they were caught by a small breeze, his eyes and expression, though made of oak, were as soft and serene as they had been in life. The Avatar's arms were outstretched, as if he was ready to embrace someone. She knew her master didn't arbitrarily choose this pose for his father. She knew that he had carved Avatar Aang in the exact same way as the last time he saw him.

"Thank you." Bumi said as he cleaned his carving tools in the water basin at the back of the room. He was always very particular about his equipment, cleaning each of them one at a time. Inspecting them for any wear and tear, scraping away any rust with steel wool. Carefully, her master placed his tools into their outlined spaces before he finally used a wet cloth to wipe away any sawdust that had clung to him. "I almost didn't finish it in time."

Honaka nodded as she recalled the massive chunk of wood the sculpture had been a year ago to the day. Bumi had started carving immediately, but found that life had a funny habit of getting in the way.

When Bumi stepped beside her, Honaka felt him place a calloused hand on her shoulder. She looked up at her master's face to see that he had tears in his eyes. Tears she knew he'd never let fall.

"Should I leave Master?" she asked as he stepped toward the likeness of his father. She knew what was coming next and wasn't sure if she was supposed to witness it.

"No Honaka." he stated as he placed his hands on Aang's shoulders. "I think I need someone to be here for this one."

"I understand Master." she replied with a nod.

"Thank you child." Bumi stated before he looked into his father's wooden eyes. "Happy Birthday Father."

Honaka flinched as Bumi's fist exploded across Aang's face, a loud crack echoed throughout the room. A second blow saw the carvings head flying across the room, landing in the corner with a dull clatter. For ten minutes, Bumi savaged the sculpture, breaking off its arms, delivering blow after blow to its body. The scars on Bumi's knuckles opened, turning every punch to a bloody exclamation mark. By the end the sculpture lay on the ground, its legs broken off at the shin, its head and arms missing, and its chest a bloody, caved in mess. In just ten minutes Bumi had completely undone a year's worth of hard work.

Again Bumi was at the back of the room, this time soaking his hands in ice. Cautiously Honaka approached him.

"Master?" she questioned softly. His only response was a glance over his shoulder. "Are you sure you don't wish me to heal your hands?" When he spoke, her master's voice was calm, collected.

"Thank you Honaka, but that won't be necessary." he stated as he removed his bloody, splintered hands from the ice bucket and carefully wrapped them in bandages. Once his hands were completely wrapped up, he gestured to the destroyed sculpture. "Can you please get some help to clean this up? I'll be right back."

Honaka bowed as Bumi left the room. Once he was gone she pulled a bell rope in the corner. As she waited for the clean up crew to arrive, Honaka set to work disfiguring the sculpture's severed head to an unrecognizable lump of wood with her waterbending. By the time the others arrived, she had completely removed all traces that the once immaculate sculpture had once been Avatar Aang. She helped the others lift the lumps of wood onto the wheelbarrow and they were gone just minutes before Bumi returned, a giant chunk of wood being brought in behind him.

He had the huge piece of cedar placed in the exact spot Avatar Aang stood just an hour ago. He dismissed everyone, Honaka included, with a nod. As she followed the others out, she glanced over her shoulder to see her master, bandaged hands holding a hammer and chisel, shaking from their injuries, circle the cedar before he began to carve.


End file.
